Bert Jan Groenenberg

Bert Jan Groenenberg is a senior researcher and lecturer in Soil Chemistry and Chemical Soil Quality at Wageningen University & Research. He specializes in modeling soil chemical processes, bridging fundamental and applied research across molecular to regional scales. His work focuses on mitigating cadmium uptake in crops (e.g., potatoes and cocoa), PFAS sorption, and pesticide interactions with soil components. He contributes to world-leading models like NICA-Donnan (organic matter ion binding) and CD-MUSIC (iron-oxide interactions).

Teaching includes courses SOC21306 (Soil Pollution and Protection) and SOC34806 (Applications in Soil and Water Chemistry), emphasizing real-world applications of soil chemistry. He co-develops courses on trending topics like microplastics and PFAS in soils.

Current projects address cadmium reduction strategies, PFAS environmental behavior, and rare earth element binding to iron-oxide nanoparticles. His expertise spans environmental management, toxicology, and ecological risk assessment, with a focus on pollutants such as heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants, and phosphate leaching.

Based at Droevendaalsesteeg 3, Wageningen, he collaborates within the SOC group and contributes to policy-related research, including soil quality standards and fertilizer regulations.